Many Questions

These are all from one of my players.

I have a few questions or needs for clarification that I came across while planning my character’s progression that I did not remember seeing in the FAQ or errata:

1. In the Core rulebook, page 270, Martial Technique: Overpower. The entry says: Weapon: +10

Q. Is this on the attack, the damage or both?

Any modifier on Weapon for a Technique is on the damage. If it says None the maneuver does no damage.

2. Codex of Heroes, page 84, Talents, Path of the Scale, Tier IV: Thick Tail says: …granting you an additional d(Mi) in damage any time you successfully use Tail Swipe.

Q. I thought the trip maneuver did not cause weapon damage, just the trip, or does tail swipe cause weapon (unarmed) damage where other weapons don’t? If it just gives you damage onto the trip, then it shouldn’t be worded as ADDITIONAL damage as there was no damage to ADD to and should read to the effect: granting a d(Mi) damage….

A normal trip does no damage. Thick Tail does damage equal to d(Mi). It probably says ‘additional’ so that if there are talents/fighting styles that add other damage to Trip, it is still valid. If it said only “granting a d(Mi) damage” it wouldn’t stack.

3. Codex of heroes, page 109, New Martial Techniques, Pounce: Effect: Weapon; if you also successfully bypass your opponent’s Fortitude, your target is knocked prone.

Q. I’m assuming this is with the attack not the damage, but it doesn’t specify….

All mentions of “If you also bypass your opponent’s [Fortitude/Discipline] are talking about the attack roll.

4. Also from the same entry: and it may only be used against opponent’s one size category larger or smaller.

Q. So this maneuver cannot be used on an opponent of the same size category? Doesn’t seem all that logical or useful if I can knock down an opponent larger than myself but not one my own size.

If you are Medium, one size category larger or smaller means anything up to and including “Large”. It’s an odd arrangement of words but it means “You can affect anything from tiny to one size category larger than you are.”

5. Would the pugilist talent stack with natural claws or just allow character to do the d4 without claws?

Unarmed attacks are different from natural claws, though both use the Melee (Unarmed) skill for attacks. The talent doesn’t stack with the claws, though you could use either one as you wanted (punch with unarmed or claw with claws).

6. Would Iron Fists talent also work with natural claws?

Same as #5, unarmed attacks are different from natural weapon attacks, so they won’t stack.

John

4. Also from the same entry: and it may only be used against opponent’s one size category larger or smaller.

Thank you for reminding me of this. For sheer roleplaying goodness, I am giggling like a little girl right now.

It means we can knock down Huge creatures with Pounce. LoL. Probably get my scaley butt handed to me, but i will be laughing the whole time.

Going to resurrect this because I have a question to add.

If a normal trip does no damage (that being just a normal tail), does a trip say with a tail bracer or staff do damage?

Trips using either the “Trip Foe” Martial Technique or the “Trip” Simple Combat Maneuver do not do damage. Only if a trip (or otherwise proning) attack says it does damage does it (See “Shield Slam” Martial Technique)

John

5. Would the pugilist talent stack with natural claws or just allow character to do the d4 without claws?

Unarmed attacks are different from natural claws, though both use the Melee (Unarmed) skill for attacks. The talent doesn’t stack with the claws, though you could use either one as you wanted (punch with unarmed or claw with claws).

Could you source this interpretation? I always thought that spells like “claws of the beast” that give claws, but describe it as an unarmed attack made it pretty clear that natural weapons are just a form of unarmed attack.

Claws of the beast and body of the warrior use the exact same language to say, “your unarmed attacks deal…” and it has been ruled that iron fists works with body of the warrior, so it would seem to apply to claws of the beast as well (since they use the exact same language), and therefore I would think to claws in general.

That was my answer’s rationale. Natural Claws say your unarmed attacks do d4(Mi). Pugilist says your unarmed attacks do d4(Mi). They don’t stack and become 2d4 (Mi) or anything like that. They are two paths to the same end. “Claws of the Beast” also replace your unarmed damage with d4(Mi) but can be augmented.

John

1) My understanding is that you can use unarmed tricks with claws. Correct?

Yes, claws are an Unarmed Weapon so you can use tricks for the Unarmed Weapon. Claws also use the Melee (Unarmed) Attack Skill.

2) if you were wearing a gauntlet, could you use its tricks in conjunction with a fist augmented by body of the warrior?

You can use the tricks for Unarmed Weapons (includes Claws) with the Gauntlet Weapon if you are trained in Melee (Unarmed) Attack Skill, since it has the Worn Quality. You can’t, however, use Gauntlet Weapon Tricks with your Claw Weapon without some special ability that would let you do that.

John